Author: Bishop Greg Godsey

Sep 192020

Life isn’t always fair

Fair

The readings this weekend are hard reading to preach on. In the Epistle we have Saint Paul struggling with a Shakespearean dilemma “to be or not to be”. In the Gospel we hear Jesus basically say that life is not always fair, but we have accept what is given to us and be happy.

These are hard messages to hear during a worldwide pandemic. It is even harder for me to hear in the midst of all the struggles I have right now. Many of you know that I am taking a break from the hospital and that I have receive a ton of hate on the internet lately. Death threats seem like a daily occurrence. People writing me messages just to tell me that I am a horrible human being for supporting black lives and the LGBTQI community.

How can I not love and support everyone? Even in the midst of despair and darkness, Saint Paul told the Romans that “love is the fulfillment of the law.” (Romans 13:10) How could I deny them love and expect God to love me?

As a genderfluid pansexual priest I can no more refuse anyone love than I can refuse loving myself. And for many years I did try to refuse loving myself. I tried to refuse love to everyone else. And it made me a bitter and hate-filled person. It nearly destroyed my marriage and it did destroy many friendships.

Only when I accepted who I was, was I able to love others. The thoughts of suicide started to go away and the world seemed much brighter. Sharing love with others has helped me heal as an individual. So we could all learn a lesson that life should be about loving others rather than hating them. We should all learn to accept that all things are not fair, but life is worth living.

Then and only then can we truly say that we are Christians.

God loves you all and so do I!

Father Greg

Sep 122020

Forgiving Others as we Forgive Ourselves.

As I have been going about this week, I have noticed an increase in animosity and vitriol. This tension is always felt for me this time of year, especially around the anniversary of the September 11 attacks. This is the moment that the America that I had been raised to know for me died.

You see, up until that point I had been taught that a lot of our sins had been atoned for. Our past with racism, and xenophobia was just that in the past, and we were this melting pot utopia that had embraced all of various skin colors, and beliefs. When those 4 planes tore through the sky and like a knife, cut the rose colored glasses off the country and showed our hatred and intolerance once again this time toward people of the Muslim faith, and has since cascaded and renewed our in-sensitivities that had been lying dormant against people of color, migrant communities, and LGBTQI individuals.

As I grew in my faith and in my call, I was asked to challenge my own biases. In that I realized that even though I had known Muslim friends and colleagues, there was still a resentment inside of me and I needed to do the work to release this, and part of that was praying and asking God to forgive those fundamentalists that attempted to speak for an entire community of faith and damage all of our hearts and minds. It wasn’t until then was I truly free and could look at 9/11 and truly honor those we lost.

The readings this week teach us this hard lesson. Sirach says that “vengeance is the Lords” and we who “attempt to exact vengeance” will lose the ability to seek forgiveness for ourselves. For how can we seek the very thing that we will not give to others who come to us seeking it.

That is the real test, can we forgive others for how they hurt us? That does not mean forgetting the pain, and what they did, but forgiveness is letting go and releasing that pain. It frees us from those chains of anger and vitriol, and brings us to a place where it is just an event that shapes us.

This week I challenge you to take the time to find those moments in your life. And if you are ready to, tell God that you are ready to forgive. Then let God do the rest.

God bless.

Fr. Matt+

Aug 222020

Unbinding hate with love

I have recently started spending time on the social media app called Tiktok. Despite the news that has been spread about its evils, I have found it to be a place of great ministry. Many progressive clergy spend time on Tiktok reaching out to the younger generation.

I have also found it to be full of people who have been hurt, damaged and forsaken by the church. People who have been told they cannot be Christians and be LGBTQI+. And they are in need of our love and support. I would say that for every hateful “Christian” I encounter on Tiktok, I find 20 other people who are loving and in need of support.

The scriptures this weekend speak to our job as clergy to bind and loose peoples bondages. For many people this has been equated to binding and loosing their sins from them. However, the scripture does not say that it applies to sins only. It is my belief that this authority has been given to us to even loose the bonds that bind people emotionally, mentally and physically.

That is why I preach love instead of hate. I feel that by doing so I can loose the bonds that have bound people for so long. All the hateful rhetoric that makes them physically sick, emotionally damaged, and mentally hurting can be healed with love. And by showing them real love and support, we can free them from a lifetime of hateful bondage.

That is why I choose to continue to preach that Hate Has No Home in the church, in my life, or in the world around us. We must work together to spread the love of God to all we meet. Regardless of their faith practice, nationality, race, gender expression/identity, sexual orientation/identity, social status, or financial status.

You will see me standing with Black Lives Matters protestors, LGBTQI+ individuals, the homeless, the unwed mothers and fathers, those protesting the death penalty, and those fighting for healthcare and living wage. Not because I am trying to be political. But because I am trying to live the Gospel.

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'” (Matthew 25:40. NIV)

You are loved!

Father Greg.

Jul 102020

Listening vs. hearing

listening
Sunday’s readings challenge us to not only hear to the message of the Gospel, but to listen to it. Many people do not understand the difference between listening and hearing.
 
We hear people tell us things every day. We perceive the noise and acknowledge that we are being spoken to. I find that more times than not, we do not actually listen to what is being said. To listen to something means that we hear what is said and process and/or keep the information contained in the words spoken.
 
Often we are like the seeds that are sown on the rocky ground. We hear what is said and discard it immediately. We do nothing to keep the information or actually process it. Other times we hear and keep the information for a short time only to have it choked out by other bits of information. Those times are like the seeds in the thorns. We become distracted and busy and the information or wisdom imparted to us gets drowned out.
 
When we actually take time to process and keep the information we received, then we are like the seeds that fell on good ground. We can use that information to make ourselves better people and to make the world around us better.
 
I hope that you will continue to support our blessing bag ministry and our parish so that we can continue to spread the seeds of love and compassion to the community around us.
Jun 192020

Christian moderates and racism

It is a sad commentary on our society that we must still discuss the rise of racism and bigotry in 2020. I doubt that Dr. King believed that it would take this long for things in our nation to change. Frederick Douglas and Harriett Tubman likely thought that by this point in history racism would be a thing of the past.

Yet, we continue to fight for equality and justice for people of color. Dr. King in his Letter from the Birmingham Jail wrote: ” Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial “outside agitator” idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds.”

Even today, injustice continues to thrive everywhere. Our family and friends marching for equality and justice are routinely called “outside agitators”. And people who came to this nation as children are considered outsiders.

Dr. King continued from his jail cell: ” I must make two honest confessions to you, my Christian and Jewish brothers. First, I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro’s great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen’s Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to “order” than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: “I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action”; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man’s freedom…”

This week I fought against the same moderates in the church that Dr. King referred to. Our parish and our denomination (the Old Catholic Churches International) continues to raise our voices and use our privilege to call for real and meaningful change. However, many of our fellow Christians continue to call for people to sit down and keep quiet. They call on people to wait just a little bit longer for equality.

How much longer must our beloved wait for equality? How much longer will they be denied justice?

Today we honor Juneteenth. This day hearkens back to June 19, 1865, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation when Major General Gordon Granger landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. It took 2 1/2 years for the word of freedom to finally reach all those kept in captivity! We stand 155 years later and moderate Christians are still calling for our beloved family and friends to wait just a little bit longer for equality and justice.

Enough is enough. Now is the time. Today is the day of liberation. We can no longer call for people of color to sit down and be patient. We must lock arms with them and march toward the promised land. It is our sacred duty to support them and to use our platform of privilege to demand their equal rights and justice.

And one the ways we do that is by calling out racism and bigotry wherever and whenever it exists. Even when it is white privilege that raises its head to oppress our beloved friends and family. We must not be afraid to call out those who demand that those marching sit down or find other means of protest. And we must also not be afraid to call out those who claim the victims of police violence are somehow in the wrong and deserved their fate.

No longer can the church remain silent on the issue of race. Because to do so is to be complicit in the murder of our family and friends of color. While many Christians and many churches have come a long way, we all still have a long way to go.

Join me in this struggle for equality. Join me in standing with our family and friends yearning to be truly equal and free!

Fr. Greg

Jun 052020

Fighting hatred and racism with love

Say no to racism

I am saddened and dismayed at the amount of hatred and division that exists in our world today. Many people are standing up to violence and racism in our world. Others are content to allow things to remain as they have always been. And others are indifferent to either viewpoint.

Even sadder is the fights that are occurring within each faction. There are those who feel we are not doing enough to combat racism, bigotry and hatred. Other feel that we must only work with, love or support those we agree with 100%. And still others feel we have all gone too far.

Jesus was a radical protester. He stood up to oppression, hatred and bigotry. A prime example of this was the story of the Samaritan woman. We read in John 4:9, “The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)” Jesus was friends with the outcasts of society. He spent time with tax collectors, prostitutes and the Samaritans. He shattered their ideas of social class, racism and bigotry.

And yes, he even flipped over a few tables and whipped a few people. Yet, he loved them all. Even those who crucified him. From the cross he cried for God to forgive those who murdered him. He begged for their immortal souls even as he drew his last breath. He left us an example of how we ought to live.

Jesus wants us to stand up for the defenseless and the downtrodden. He also wants us to love one another. Saint Paul encourages us all to, “Mend your ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss.” (2 Corinthians 13:11-12)

Today, as we stand against racism, bigotry, hatred and division, let us not forget to love one another. Love those standing shoulder to shoulder with us. And love those standing on the other side of each issue. Pray for our own conversion of heart as well as theirs.

Won’t you join me as I struggle to walk this path as well?

May 152020

Despite attacks we continue to serve

attacks

Yesterday I received one of those messages that make me cringe as a pastor. It came from a person who likes to tell everyone how much experience they have. They also feel the need to put down everyone around them for not being as smart as they are. They attack those who are actually doing the work of ministry instead of assisting in ministry.

As a pastor, I have learned to ignore most of these messages. I understand the pain they are carrying and the damage that has been done to them that causes them to act in such a way. Despite their vitriolic behavior, I continue to lift them in prayer and hope and pray they find peace.

As catholic Christians it is our calling to pray for those who persecute us. Even those who claim to be our relatives who do not or cannot see our value. And those who wish to do us harm because they are jealous of our success or our willingness to answer the call of the Gospel. We shake the dust from our sandals, pray for them to find peace, and move on down the spiritual path we are on.

Here at Saint Francis Parish, we may never be a mega church like the ones you see on Youtube or television. We may never have the size of ministries and outreaches as many of the churches around us. But what we do have is a huge love for one another and the willingness to help those who need it most.

We are a safe-haven in the storms of life. Our doors are open for all those hurt by other churches. We welcome and support those thrown away by the other churches. It does not matter why those churches sent you away. You are welcome here!

We love everyone without inquiring about whether they are worthy of love or not. Everyone deserves love and the support necessary to be the best version of themselves! That may not be the kind the message that will cause us to grow into a mega-church. Yet, it is the message that the Gospel proclaims.

It is my hope that you will join us by Livestream Sunday and eventually in person to discover an entirely different way to be catholic!

May 092020

Yes, we are catholic!

catholic

I want to first apologize for not blogging in a while. I will admit that life has been rather hectic and in some ways depressing. However, I am back. And for my first blog in a while, I want to talk about being catholic.

There are close to 30 different catholic (note the small c) churches of which the Old Catholic, Roman Catholic, Episcopalian, Anglican and various Orthodox churches are a part of. To most of them, catholicism means that their clergy have Apostolic Succession and they have valid sacraments. They may not always agree on liturgy or various doctrinal matters, but they remain catholic.

Sadly, there are those who claim that unless a person is their version of catholic, that they have no right to call themselves catholic. This could not be further from the truth. For instance, the Roman Catholic Church, which tends to be the most hard-line when it comes to who they consider catholic, has said that there are catholics not under Rome’s authority. In 2000, (Saint) Pope John Paul II even enshrined this doctrine in his encyclical called Dominus Iesus. Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI) signed this document as well stating that it was not in error and making it an infallible teaching for those in the Roman Catholic Church.

Here is what (Saint) Pope John Paul II said, “The Churches which, while not existing in perfect communion with the [Roman] Catholic Church, remain united to her by means of the closest bonds, that is, by apostolic succession and a valid Eucharist, are true particular Churches…Therefore, these separated Churches and communities as such … have by no means been deprived of significance and importance in the mystery of salvation. For the Spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as means of salvation which derive their efficacy from the very fullness of grace and truth entrusted to the Catholic Church.” (IV. Unicity and Unity of the Church, 17)

Regardless of what these other catholic church may say, Saint Francis Parish and our clergy and parishioners are catholic. We are not Roman Catholic or Orthodox and have not claimed to be such. Our sacraments are valid and open to all who wish to receive them.

You see, the Old Catholic Church has been around since 1145 AD, a mere 91 years after the Great Schism that created the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches. We have our own polity and piety that has been formed in the years since.

As Old Catholics, we have married and LGBTQI clergy. We offer an open communion to anyone who wish to receive the Blessed Sacrament. Divorced, LGBTQI, people of all nationalities and past experiences are welcome in our parish and welcome to partake in our sacraments. We welcome and love all people.

And hopefully, when we can once again meet in person, you will join us and experience a different way to be catholic!

Apr 292020

Reaching out during our dark night of the soul

reaching out

I was reminded of a simple yet difficult fact of life last night. And it came in a way that left a great impact on me. It will come as no shock to those who know me well, but I have been really struggling lately. I try to hide it, but I have been very depressed and in a very dark place. And reaching out to others when I depressed is not my strong suit.

Last night, my brave and in-control facade fell for a few minutes and I had to have a very candid talk with my family about my struggles. My future daughter-in-law looked at me and said, “Dad, how can we support you if we don’t know you are struggling? We can’t read your mind.” She was right.

I have lived with the feeling that is not right to share my struggle with those under me. Right or wrong, it has always felt wrong to reach out to them for help. And many of my fellow clergy feel the same way. Sadly, this is the thought process that leads to clergy killing themselves instead of asking for support.

I am not going to be part of that crowd anymore. To suffer alone is wrong. Especially when I have people around me who really do care about me. And to you, clergy and laity alike, I echo that message. There are people all around you who love you and want to support you. All you have to do is ask. Reaching out for support is not a bad thing.

Because we cannot read your mind either.

During this pandemic it is easy to loose sight of the support network that is all around you. We are asked to “social distance” from everyone. This is a terrible term and gives the impression, whether we are conscience of it or not, that we should not even talk to each other. However, we are really only asked to physically distance from one another. We can be as social with each other as we want!

Today I am reaching out to ask you for your help. I need people to talk to. Even if it is only for a few minutes a couple of times a week. I need people who are willing to just sit with me when I am hurting, without judgement and without trying to “fix” me.

I promise that I will also be here for you when you need to talk. And I will not judge you, nor will I try to fix you. Instead, I will be here to walk with you along this journey through all the darkness into the blessed light that will come.

Because no pandemic last forever.

And in your dark moments, I want you to know: God loves you and so do I!

One last thing before I end this rambling blog. Can you please send us photos of you and/or your family? We would really like to tape them to our pews so that when we are celebrating Mass we can look out and see your smiling faces. You do not have to be a regular member of our parish to participate. If you follow us on Facebook, watch our Masses online, or just stumbled across us today, we would still like to include you in our Virtual Congregation. You can send your photos to fathergreg@oursaintfrancis.org.

God bless you all!

Father Greg